This is a place for me to share some of my work. On this site you will find many examples of micro lessons. Many of them will take the form of 1 to 10 minutes video clips or short to the point articles. I believe that micro lessons could be a powerful tool that we can use with students. I hope that you enjoy this Blog site. This site will discuss educational technology as a tool for student learning. Site Publisher Fred Sharpsteen
email contact sharpstf@gmail.com

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I am looking to compile a list of other state k12 technology organizations. Here is a list of a couple that I know of so far. I would like to ask any of you to send me more k12 technology education groups.

Name of the organization, State, Contact information of the organization.

Please send this information to me at this email address.
sharpstf@gmail.com

What if there were a basic literacy, beyond reading, writing, and arithmetics that we missed, or that wasn't really necessary until this moment in our history? What if that new literacy were MORE important than STEM education to the future of our children? Or if it helped rationalize STEM and SEL (social, emotional, learning) in a way that organized these two, at times mutually exclusive, threads of critical thinking? What if other countries were figuring it out and America was caught fighting over educational approaches mired in philosophies and patterns suited for the 1900s instead of the 21st century and missed the boat entirely? What if it fostered thinking so that kids could grow up to be critical, creative, collaborative, and resilient? What if you did something about it before it's too late?

Speaker Bio: Mickey McManus is president, CEO, and principal of MAYA Design, Inc., a technology design and innovation lab focused on meeting the needs of people in the connected world. To maximize opportunities for innovation at the intersection of users and information, he leads a team of cognitive psychologists, ethnographers, computer scientists, mathematicians, visual and industrial designers, architects, and filmmakers. This team works with a range of clients from Fortune 500 global companies to foundations, government organizations, and startups.

In 2005, Mickey spearheaded the launch of MAYA's Pervasive Computing practice, which focuses on ways to take connected experiences out of the lab and into the marketplace through smart products, services, and environments. He speaks nationally and internationally about the future of information and how it will impact humans in a massively connected world of at least a trillion nodes.

Mickey holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois, with extended studies in communication design and mathematics.

http://www.maya.com

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxGrandRapids, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxGrandRapids event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized

Chris Lehmann introduces a revolutionary idea in education: Encourage learning by allowing students to do things they are good at instead of restricting them. While that may sound elementary, Lehmann's speech carves out an innovative way to teach students success so they will strive for success in the post-graduate world.

Hailing from Manhattan, Chris Lehmann is breathing fresh air into the Philadelphia School District by providing immediate feedback to teachers using an iPad, asking teachers to practice kindness in the classroom, and promoting a student-centered school.

practicaltheory.org

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxPhilly, where x = independently organized TED event.

At our TEDxPhilly event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

Shawn Cornally's tagline to his blog sums him up well: "Dealing with the fear of being a boring teacher." Clearly Shawn is successfully combating this fear. Blogging extensively and generating conversations among educators across the world, Shawn brings us some perspective on how the tools of today can be put to work in the classroom.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

Can digital learning revolutionize the American education system? Can it transform the current status quo to a student-centric one in which each student receives personalized learning according to his or her unique needs? Michael Horn explores these issues and more in his talk.

Response to Interventions RtI offers students multiple levels, or tiers, of evidence-based instruction & interventions. At each tier in the framework, students receive effective, differentiated instruction. The intensity of instruction at each tier will vary depending on students' learning needs. A video explaining how it works.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

eTech Ohio hosts the third largest state educational technology conference in the country where more than 6,500 educational innovators gather once a year and share their successes and challenges with one another. The conference is an opportunity for educators to honestly share their experiences—what works, and what doesn't—for the benefit of their peers.
...more than 6,500 educational innovators gather once a year and share their successes and
challenges with one another.
The event is built by educators, for educators and offers pragmatic strategies, answers nagging questions, and shares valuable insights to address needs of college faculty, classroom teachers, and district administrators alike. The conference boasts over 500 sessions, workshops and displays that demonstrate student work, highlight new technologies and discuss 21st century skills. It is also a forum to learn more about critical initiatives impacting our state.
More than 250 vendors showcase their products and services as well as conduct hands-on sessions for their clients. International and nationally-recognized keynote speakers kick-off each day and students compete onsite in various design and technology-oriented events.
This conference aims to bring us all together as we tap into the best educational currents across the state and re-energize!

A short animation looking at the technological and social changes that have happened in recent years, each change affects the way we interact not only with each other but the world in which we live... how do you survive and adapt?

Geoff CanadaDescription: Geoff Canada, of the Harlem Children's Zone talks about the danger of allowing technology to widen the gap between rich kids and poor kids and our responsiblity to ensure that this does not happen.

This is an excerpt from "Nurturing the Love of Learning" produced by the American Montessori Society. It shows how Montessori education nurtures learning for children who are 3-6. It is available from www.edvid.com. Over 1,000 schools are using this DVD to educate parents. Edvid now offers schools free parent orientation video podcasts that can be posted on your school's website with DVD purchase.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Every year, billions of people rely on Santa and his elves to make their dreams come true. But who do they turn to when they need a hand? They turn to the People Who Get IT at CDW. CDW has hardware, software, services and solutions organizations need to address their biggest IT challenges.

It might surprise parents to learn that it is not a waste of time for their teens to hang out online," says Mizuko Ito, University of California, Irvine researcher and the lead author of the most extensive U.S. study to date on teens and their use of digital media. The study showed that America's youth are developing important social and technical skills online often in ways adults do not understand or value. More information at http://www.macfound.org/dmlethnography.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Peer into Aaron Sams' classroom as he explains why he flipped his classroom. Aaron Sams, along with Jonathan Bergmann were the first to flip their classes. The currently teach in Woodland Park Colorado and are writing a book about the Flipped Class.

The video was made by techsmith.com so there is a plug for their product at the end of the video

Youube for Schools in now available in a school near you... Yes YouTube has open up an educational section to there site. So it is time to get your school filter open to adding www.YouTube.com/schools.

Here is an interesting program for primary school students that helps them learn to become better writers. It also has vocabulary and spelling help built in. If you buy the full version for about $1.67 a student it also help keep track of student progress. Check it out today.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

People are not being educated they're being tested for levels of obedience. School is about memorizing what you are told short term and repeating it. The bulk of how you are graded is by completely daily busy work. This is for the work force the most important quality in a worker bee actually is obedience.

People are not being educated they're being tested for levels of obedience. School is about memorizing what you are told short term and repeating it. The bulk of how you are graded is by completely daily busy work. This is for the work force the most important quality in a worker bee actually is obedience.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Michael Horn of Innosight Institute in Mountain View discusses how blended learning, combining online learning in a brick-and-mortar setting, will spread in California in the next decade, in a November 2011 interview with John Fensterwald, editor and co-writer of TOPed.org.

Talk title: Innovations in education Blended Learning
In cities such as Delhi and Nairobi around the world children have a passionate desire to learn, but little opportunity. Here at home, we face problems a well: a third of kids don't finish high school, and another third graduate unprepared for college or employment. We can do better. So far when we've taken technology to schools, we've layered the technology on top of the way we've always organized schools. Educators are now shifting delivery to online learning and a blended learning approach. When we teach kids in the right way and with the right modality, they learn more per hour. Personal digital learning is the next wave in education, and will allow us to customize the learning experience, motivate students and equalize opportunities for learning.

Tom Vander Ark is CEO of Open Education Solutions, an organization which provides blended learning services. He is a partner in Learn Capital, a venture capital firm investing in learning content, platforms, and services aimed at transforming educational engagement, access, and effectiveness. A prolific writer and speaker, Tom has published thousands of articles and blogs. He chairs the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), and serves on the board of LA's Promise and Strive for College. Tom received the Distinguished Achievement Medal.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxManhattanBeach, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxManhattanBeach event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.